The Amish Lifestyle
Introduction:
The Amish people descend from the German and Swiss immigrants and are mostly German
speaking people who currently are living in 22 settlements in the USA. These settlements are
mostly in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Amish people are isolated from the outside world. They rarely
communicate with outsiders and oppose the use of technology. They reject the use of modern
clothing, simple electronics such as iron, hair dryers, light bulbs etc, and any sources of
communication, including telephones and computers. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even use the commercial gas
and electricity and mostly use oil to light their candles. They believe that these manifestations
of modern life are evil and threaten their way of life.

Religion:
But, not all Amish are so stringent. So one thing that is not allowed in one community, might be
allowed in the other.
The religious leaders of each community decide whether something should be allowed or not
based on the literal interpretations from the bible. Fundamentalist Amish reject any kind of
demonstration of modern technology. However, in some communities more flexible, church
leaders meet to discuss the admission of certain elements. The shape of the braces, the use of
buttons or the number of folds that must have the coping of women may be cause for
discrepancies between the different communities. The Amish are strictly religious sects, who
believe in the New Testament and live a simple life.

Agriculture and Food:
The Amish are mainly farmers and still follow the traditional methods of farming throughout.
For over three hundred years, the Amish way of life has centered on agriculture. This is largely because
the Anabaptists - from whom the Amish religion derived from - had fled to the rural countryside to avoid
persecution from the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant reformers in the 16th Century.

Amish cuisine is simple and traditional as well. Food plays an important part in Amish social life
and is served at potlucks, weddings, fundraisers, farewells and other events. Many Amish
cuisines have become commercial and are sold in markets.

Modern-day Amish:
The Amish community, being disconnected from the rest of the world faces many problems in a
variety of areas. For example, the Amish do not pay taxes and do not believe in the law and
enforcement systems of the government.
Moreover, the Amish also occasionally suffer from discrimination and hostility from people who
do not accept the Amish form of life. Sporadic discrimination and acts such as throwing of
stones or other objects at Amish horse-drawn carriages on the roads, is common.
The Amish do not usually educate their children past the eighth grade, believing that the basic
knowledge offered up to that point is sufficient to prepare one for the Amish lifestyle. Almost
no Amish go to high school and college. In many communities, the Amish operate their own
schools, which are typically one-room schoolhouses with female teachers from the Amish
community.